Well cementing apparatus



Feb. 9, 1943. N. w. wlcKERsHAM WELL CEMENTING APPARATUS' Filed March 1,1940 v2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 9, 1943. N. w. wlcKERsHAM 2,310,483

WELL CEMENT-ING APARATUs Filed March 1, 1940 2 sheetssheet 2 -embodimentof -thenventiongeas ',illustratedy i Patented Feb.V 9, 1943lvlelavvare-A Y l "f Animation maar, meer@ y Y the Ubia-Strings or:drill-snm This invention relates tofapparatus 'force-l mening Wells,andlhasiftoldo particularly-:with devices incorporated in-thegtubinginga well for controlling the ilow therethrough ofgcement`and drilling fluid. i

An object of the inventionisto provide-appaA ratus capable of indicatingto the (operator at the surface when all the cement has beenidischarged`from the tubing or drill pipeiinto,thewellj'and which is alsocapableofpbeingmanipulated to 10 permit washing the well above 'thecemeritfafterthe latter is deposited inthetwell.. I l Another object isto provide apparatus capable of washing the well after thecementha'sbeendeposited therein, by direct ow from the ,tubingl` or drill pipe intothe well,y as distinct fr'omvvash-4 ing by reversing theflowfromrtheiwellintothe tubing. This is particularly` importantxbecause ofthe fact that washing by reversingthe ovv' temporarily increasesthepressure in theforma- 20 tion and also puts a pressure on-thelplacedce' ment which may drive ity into theformation'so` that the cement isnotleft at thedesiredheig'lit;

- with the result that when; the-,.prefs'surelis later? reduced tonormal'i vthe bore Walli'maybefweak 25. Y A votjtubing; iifpositioned`infant'uncasedborehole ened or caused to cave inin placeswf f Anotherobject is toprovideLaparticularly simple and effectiveapparatusinsertable irrwell tubings for intercepting "1a n plugtransmitted through the nubingiondibio'oking nowf-ftnroughf1301 thetubing, but capable'offreopening ai `passag'e1-i for resumed ow' of uidtherethrou'ghfinfre sponse to a predetermined increase 'inftlie'lpres-"isure of the fiuidin the tubingr@ Various other moreispecicifobjec'tsrand`fea-""35V tures ofthe invention will becomeiapparentfrom' the detaileddescription to follow'of a preferred the drawings.` l Briefly, theinvention consistsin adevicewhich is inserted in the welltubing;preferablyfadjacen ber plug, which is forced downfftheitubin'g 1btween the cement and the-displacement fluid the tubing. Thedevicediiersfffrom v'i'evic'e'spr viously employed for stoppigwthle rubbreferred to, in that ituisadaptedeitotpen pas sageway aroundthefplug'fortthe @freefpassag `'o uid or cement throughtheitubing`inrs'pon'se to application of a". nredet'ermined;v increased@ofi-ithenormalpsition asfshowninfFyif.fSjjtliere' pressure on the fluidin thetubing; iluid-ifpssag xtendingilthroughfltheinterio @sleeve is.`normauy :maintained in the up g V*follovvin'g `the seating of fthe?rubber plu'gisfthat itfleliir'iinaltesv they necessityiof pulling a'weti string,*fsihce the fluid contents `of thestrihg'ica'ndrain out as thestring-iis puiioaff@ The device land itsy operationr` 'will "lriovv,`A`befde scribed' irrpdetaili` with reference: to "the drawings,

lin which F'ig'.;:12";is'azschematic view-s'hoiving the devicfepositioned inia string ofitubing andv the tubin positioned-iriawelltobecem'ented; j Fig. 21isf a`lview similar toFigefl';lbut'jshovving' the tubing in raised position 4for washing theweil; following deposit of..the'cem'eht; "y" 5 Fig.` 3 lis a :verticalsectional viewvth'rtnyigh';y theI device oftheypresent. invention,-showing th ter nin normaloryclos'ed positiomy` f \Fig. `llista viewsimila'rto Fr'i'gl'fbut shovv 'g'l the device with thefrubber plugpositioned there# in. and,1-the..,"device.actuated into open position;

Fig.V y5 is: a cross'section taken vin thev plane V-V oflFigfBiand Figi6 islabcross'.sectiontaken in thefplane OfFig.'

Referring .first` to Figi, 1'; there is shown'astring 2,v and extendingvsubstantially''to vthebottorn" thereof for cementing the bottom of thehole: l

Positioned near therlower-z end ofthe stringi is a deviceg 3Vwhichrcons'titutesthe'nOVel apparatu invva'ccordance withftherpresentinvention? "l i Referringf now to Fig;r3, `the :device3 comprises atubular zbodyimember l0 internallythreadedf-at theupperendfftovreceivefthemale thread onA the 'lower endioffthegtubing section 4thereabjove and havin'grmale ythreadsflonz*the low'er l'end for con'-vnectionbyjrlafcouplingi 6 to atubing section-'6 therebelow: vSlidably:l'aositi'oned*within the body memy berf` i0 fis; asleeve a1,having' a cylindrical? 1outerI slidbly ttin'g- `against alf cylinsur-facer!) infithefibody imember. i0.` The dricall surfacey 29:in21body member ipv-feiten@ substantials distance sbelow 'the-lower end'of rthe sleeve 1 ndy terninates in a 'shoulder membergl 'ithe: ends lof-Stheplugs extending `in h apertures in the sleeve 1 With the sleeve 72"thefsleeve between-fthefsleeve' v thefiiterfiperipheral ulrfac'ef'off-sleeve" pressed between a ring I5 and a gland Il in the vbodymember 3.

The remaining details of construction of the Adevice 3 will be describedin connection with the description of one mode of operation thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1, the tubing string I with the device 3 incorporatedtherein, is lowered into the well until the lower end of the tubing isadjacent the bottom of the well, where the cement is to be deposited,the device 3 being in the condition shown in Fig. 3, in which there is afree fluid passage therethrough.

A calculated quantity of cement is then pumped into the tubing string atthe top, after which a plug 20 (Fig. 7) is inserted in the tubing stringand then displacement fluid is pumped into the string. The plug 20comprises a cylindrical body member 2| of sufficiently small dimensionsto pass readily through the tubing string but having an outwardlyprojecting flared skirt 22 on its upper end which is adapted to expandand contract as necessary to ll the tubing and act as a moving dam orpiston between the upper end of the column of cement in the string andthe uid thereabove which is pumped into the string to force the cementdown therethrough.

l'I'he column of cement moves down through the tubing and out of thelower end thereof as the uid is pumped int-o the upper end of thestring. Finally, when the upper end of the cement column has passedthrough the device 3. the rubber plug 20 is forced into the sleeve 1.thereby blocking the flow of fluid through the tubing, which fact isindicated to the operator of the surface by a rise in the pressure ofthe fluid. The operator permits the pressure to increase by a margin ofabout 500 pounds to the square inch, which is suillcient to force theplug 20 fully into the sleeve 1, in which position the lower end of theplug is seated against an annular shoulder 25 in the sleeve 1. Theinterior wall of sleeve 1 is provided with downwardly directed annulari'langes or corrugations 23 which engage the outer surface of the solidbody member 2| of plug 20 and firmly anchor it against withdrawal inresponse to any reverse pressures that might incidentally be applied tothe apparatus.

The rise in the pressure of the fluid in the tubing having indicated tothe operator that the discharge of the cement has been substantiallycompleted, the operator then raises the tubing string sufliciently tobring the lower end thereof at the level where it is desired to have theupper end of the cement plug. As shown in Fig. 1, the cement 30 hasrisen to a level 3| substantially higher than the desired level which isindicated at 32. Even after the tubing string has been raised to bringthe lower end thereof to the level 32 (Fig. 2) the upper level 3| of thecement is still substantially too high. 'I'he excess cement must beremoved by washing, or pressure forcing cement into the formation, tobring the level to the desired point 32. circulating fluid down throughthe tubing string i and back up through the well surrounding the tubing,and obviously, in order to effect such circulation, a passage must beprovided through the device 3.

The operator produces such a passage by increasing the pressure on thefluid to a predetermined value, which may be approximately eight eenhundred pounds to the square inch, which.

pressure causes the pins I2 to shear on and the 'I'he washing is donebyin Fig. 4, the sleeve being stopped in this lower position by theshoulder This movement of the sleeve 1 uncovers the upper ends oflongitudinal recesses 33 in the cylindrical surface 9, these recessesextending from the lower edge of the ller ring l5 downward past theshoulder 1li so that four clear passages of substantial crosssectionaldimensions are provided past the sleeve 'l and the plug 20, which isblocking the central opening in the sleeve. This free passage through-the device 3 permits the operator to circulate uid downwardly throughthe string and upwardly therearound through the well bore to wash thetubing and the w`ell, forcing out of the well all cement above thedesired level.

Spring-pressed lockpins 35 (Figs. 3 and 4) are provided in the bodymember I0 which, when the sleeve 1 moves into lower position, as shownin Fig. 4, enter a groove 31 provided in the wall l, thereby preventingthe sleeve 1 from being returned to upper position by any ordinaryreverse pressure thereon. Therefore, should the operator for any reasondesire to do so, he can wash the well by reverse iiow through the tubingstring and the device 3 after the sleeve 1 has been forced into lowerposition, as previously described.

I t will be understood, of course, that with the particular assemblyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which a section of `tubing is provided belowthe device 3, that the lower tubing section will be filled with cementat the time the plug 20 seats in the device 3, and this cement will notbe discharged until the passage has been reopened through the member 3by the application of ex cess pressure, as described. It is notnecessary. however, that the device 3 be inserted intermediate the endsof the tubing string, and, if desired, it may be mounted on the extremelower end of the string, thereby effecting substantiallycompletedischarge of all the cement from the tubing into the well at the timethat plug 20 seats.

The expression tubing string as used in the claims, is intended to coverany string of pipe within the well which is of smaller diameter than thewell bore, if the hole is uncased, and of smaller diameter than thecasing if the hole is cased. Ordinarily this pipe string would be eithera tubing string or a drill string.

For the purpose of -fully explaining the invention, a specificembodiment and application thereof has been described in detail.However, it is to be understood that variations from the particularstructure and purpose disclosed can sleeve 1 to move into a lowerposition, as shown 75 be made without departing from the invention,which is to be limited only to the extent set forth inthe appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising a tubular member adapted tobe connected to a tubing string for selectively controlling transmissionof uid therethrough, said tubular member having slidably supportedtherewithin an open sleeve member for the passage of uid therethrough,means releasably holding said sleeve member in an upper position inwhich the exterior surface of said sleeve member seals with said tubularmember, said sleeve member being adapted to retain and seal with apacking plug forced down through said tubing, said holding means beingreleasable and said sleeve member being movable in response topredetermined pressure diiferential thereon into a lower position, andsaid tubular member having a fluid passage therein which is blocked bysaid sleeve member 4when the latter is in its upper position but isuncovered by movement of said sleeve member into said lower position.

2. A device of the type described, comprising a tubular member adaptedto be connected .to a tubing string, said member having an interiorvertical guide wall terminating in a shoulder at the lower end thereofand having a fluid passage extending from a level adjacent the upper endof said guide wall to a level below said shoulder, a sleeve slidablealong said guide wall between an upper position in which it blocks saiduid passage and a lower position against said shoul der in which ituncovers said uid passage, and releasable means holding -said sleeve inupper position, said sleeve having a vertical fluid passage therethroughadapted to receive and be blocked by a cementing plug.

3. A device as described in claim 2, in which said releasable holdingmeans comprises shear pins extending between said tubular member andsaid sleeve.

6. A device as described in claim 2, with cooperating locking means onsaid tubular member and said sleeve, respectively, for retaining saidsleeve in said lower position when once moved into that position.

NEWTON W. WICKERSHAM.

